Sandusky River Fishing

Finding a single fishing spot that offers great fishing for over a dozen and a half-popular game and pan fish species, all in close proximity, is a pretty tall order. But the Sandusky River has them all.

Miles of boulder-strewn pools south of Fremont offer small mouth and rock bass fishing mixed with great scenery. From the Ballville Dam downstream through Fremont, resident stocks of small mouth, channel a flathead catfish, crappie and sunfish are joined each spring by runs of walleye, sauger, white bass and white perch from Lake Erie. North of Fremont the Sandusky River deepens and provides some of the best largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill and pike fishing found in Ohio. Sheep head also enter the river each spring, and even salmon and trout are occasionally caught!

The Portage River in northwestern Sandusky County combines attractive scenery with excellent small mouth bass fishing. Flowing northeast through Woodville, the river’s bed is interspersed with limestone boulders and quiet pools, offering fishing opportunities with lots of elbowroom. The lower portion of the Portage River also receives a spawning run of white bass from Lake Erie each year during May and early June. Easy access to the white bass run can be found at the State Route 590 bridge.

Walleye Fishing

The Sandusky River is famous for the spring walleye run that begins each year during March. The run usually peaks in early April, but fishing stays good throughout the month. The spring run is known for producing some of the largest walleye taken from Lake Erie each year.

The most consistent success on spring walleye usually occurs in the deep pools that line the Sandusky River between the State Street and Miles Newton Bridges in Fremont. Favorite gear for landing these thrashing lunkers among the rocks is a medium- weight spinning rod and ten-pound-test line. From March 1 through May 1, lures are restricted to those with single hooks, so lead head jigs in a variety of weights and bright colors are the universal favorite.

White Perch:

White perch have become extremely abundant in recent years, and are found in the river from April through June. Although smaller than their cousins, the white bass, these chunky fish produce top-quality fillets.

Other fish found in the Sandusky River are crappie, bullheads, catfish, bluegill and a variety of pan fish. Popular tackle includes spinner bait, cast lead weighted jigs, nuggets, jigs with plastic bodies, jigs with hair bodies and shiny spinners. The most common baits are minnows and grub worms.

The bluegill, crappie, white perch and white bass are often found in the deep, quiet section of the river around the Ohio Turnpike Bridge off Port Clinton Road.

White Bass:

Just as spring walleye action begins to slacken, the river surges alive again as hordes of chunky white bass leave Lake Erie for the same spawning grounds that so recently held walleye.

White bass begin appearing on stringers in mid-April, but the peak fishing occurs around mid-May. These flashy, slivery fighters offer anglers a long season, often staying in the Sandusky River until mid-June. Bright colored jigs are again the favorite lures for white bass, although live minnows account for a large share of the catch. Spinners and flies are other popular offerings